1/2 Kreuzer - Maria Theresia Graz

Maria Theresia's accession in 1740 triggered the War of Austrian Succession almost immediately, with Bavaria, Prussia, France, and Spain each pressing competing claims against her inheritance. The Graz mint — serving Styria — was pressed into production of small-denomination silver at a moment when the Habsburg treasury was under severe strain financing a multi-front war. The half Kreuzer was among the lowest practical denominations struck, its tiny silver content reflecting just how tightly the administration was managing metal reserves in the opening years of her reign.